I had sometime stayed Mauna Kea Observatories with NHK staff to report, take video
images and photographs since 1995. And Jan. 1999, Subaru Telescope had First Light
event.

About 3 years ago, I proposed to Dr. Norio Kaifu, who is a general director of
Subaru, to broadcast a live TV program using Subaru Telescope. Fortunately, he also
had same idea. I had told this idea to NHK staff, and it grew bigger project without
my knowledge.

The plan finally materialized when Subaru had first light event. With NHK staff,
I attached a new developed Hi-Definition Color I.I. camera to Subaru (cassegrain
focus) , and we took over 150 celescial objects' images during only 2 nights. Also,
we succeeded to live broadcasting to Japan using same system as first light event.
To make Subaru telescope, Japanese Government spent an enormous sum of a tax, paid
by the sweat of Japanese people's brow, as much as about 400 milion dollar. So, live
broadcasting was significant to return the result to society, too. I heard that NHK
received many letters from TV viewers who received impression from the program.

Subaru is star name that has come down to Japanese from the very distant past.
And it means Pleiades.
This photograph took Subaru star shining above Subaru Dome. Big dipper
shining above Subaru Dome

You can see first light images of Subaru telescope on the folloeing site.All object taken by NHK Hi-difinition color I.I camera (Please
don't announce now. There has been trouble between NHK and Japanesegavament about copyright.) I took video monitor for
NHK Hi-difinition color I.I camera using potable digital video camera. These images
were made from them.

If you have any request and question, please send E-mail
to Numazawa. numazawa@nisiq.net If also you want to use some image in this page, please mail to
Atlas Photo Bank. All photographs and illustrations in this page are managed by Atlas
Photo Bank -Tokyo atlas@kt.rim.or.jp